Starting Over
by chiefy01
Summary: Post Season 2 Finale. Felicity's new employment opportunities and friendships open up a realm of new possibilities for the former EA. Team Arrow however is not quite ready to give up on their IT girl. Olicity all the way. Rated K for possible future development.
1. Chapter 1

**First time writer here folks. I'll admit I discovered Arrow and devoured both seasons in about a 3 month period. Now I have to suffer through the summer with only your lovely stories to get me through! So here we go...be kind!**

**I noticed a few typos and grammatical errors had slipped past me so I made the corrections and updated the chapter. Nothing major changed though...**  
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Making peace with Oliver after leaving Slade on Lian Yu hadn't changed the fact that her daytime job no longer existed and that Oliver was now broke. She had no choice but to dive head first into finding herself a source of income. Far away from the 18th floor of QC, far away from Digg and Roy and far away… not allowing herself to go there, Felicity smiled as she refocused on the students in front of her.

Felicity took a deep breath as she surveyed the large class of MIT freshman crowded into her classroom. _Her classroom! _She had just passed out an assignment description that they were looking over excitedly. She had to admit it was refreshing to be among people she understood and who understood her.

Her job search had taken an unexpected turn when she was recruited to step in as adjunct faculty after one of her former professors had gone into labor several weeks early. Not allowing herself a second thought, only 48 hours passed between formally accepting the position and Felicity unpacking her last bag into the small faculty apartment in Boston. Universities such as MIT didn't have a problem securing a complete ARGUS worthy background check in short order.

Opportunities to teach at MIT were highly sought after and she wasn't about to allow her emotional state to cloud her judgment. Had Felicity's heart not been shattered and able to process any emotion what so ever, she would have been giddy at the opportunity. As it was, Felicity was doing her very best to bury herself in her work and lick her wounds in peace. She taught five classes every day, volunteered a couple hours tutoring in the skills lab, and then focused whatever remaining energy she possessed into her nightly Wing Chun self-defense class. By the time she fell into bed every evening she was so exhausted she shouldn't even have had the energy to dream.

Not wanting to risk the campaign her team would have launched to change her mind, Felicity may have forgotten to let anyone know she was leaving or what her destination would be. She _had_ left her QC issued cell phone on her bed with a quick note assuring them she was safe and promised to reach out once she was settled. It was just, even now, eight weeks later, she _still_ didn't feel settled. She didn't feel settled and she certainly didn't feel like allowing herself to dig too deeply into why. Quirking her lips ruefully, she allowed herself about 15 seconds to picture how ugly the first few days after her departure must have been. Damn it Oliver! He didn't want her, that much was clear, but he also seemed to feel being without her was not an option either. Regardless of how much the island had changed him, the desire to have his cake and eat it too certainly had not. She cringed at how many sparring matches Diggle had likely endured until Oliver had come to peace with the fact that she was actually gone for good.

The large amphitheater style classroom had a calming effect on her. Even the rich smell of the wood paneling helped ground Felicity when she felt herself slipping into a sleep deprived daze. Her ability to sleep was beyond compromised on the best of nights and when she did sleep, well, that tended to end with bloody nightmares, cold sweats and tears.

"Alright, alright! Cut the chatter! Please! I'm glad to see such interest in this assignment" she said with a grin. It WAS a pretty awesome assignment that she would have thoroughly enjoyed as an undergrad student.

"Now this is a team assignment. I want you to quickly pair up and spend the rest of the hour getting started on an outline of your project." Taking a quick look around she continued, "I cannot stress this enough people...This is not an invitation to break the law! It is NOT to lead to anything that could be interpreted as illegal. You are NOT to hack into any live system or software you do not own outright. Your goal is not to end up in prison! It is your responsibility to know all NSA, FCC and FTC rules and regulations so that you don't inadvertently venture into waters that can get you kicked out of school.

Was she rambling? Felicity knew her filter had been MIA as usual, but she really needed the overeager, almost wild look in their eyes to dim just a smidge.

"My goal here is to strengthen your development skills. Any developer worth their salt knows that software is only as strong as the amount of energy put into breaking it before someone else can. You need to analyze current events and issues from the perspective of Science, Technology and Society program. Your final submission should explore a chosen topic, a unique analysis, and evidence that multiple ideas and concepts of STS have been considered. You should draw on the recent work of STS faculty, along with the concepts and methods that inspired them."

The irony of her instruction was not lost on her and Felicity had to put some real work into masking the laugh that wanted to escape. For heaven's sake, she wasn't sure she even knew _how_ to maneuver the internet legally these days. Putting on her sternest face she made eye contact with several of her more renegade minded students and firmly restated, "Nothing illegalllll…"

Felicity's voice faded into a soft squeak as her eyes settled on a lone person stepping through one of the two doors in the back of the classroom. Crap. Just… crap. This day had just taken a much unexpected turn, because there, in the back of her peaceful sanctuary with his massive arms and a slightly apologetic yet determined expression on his face, stood Digg.

Unable to stop the unexplainable panic that rose in her chest, her eyes quickly darted to the second exit along the opposite side of the back wall. _Double crap._ Casually leaning against _that_ door stood a bored Roy with his eyes barely visible under his red hoodie. If she didn't know better she would say he was asleep.

How convenient, she grumbled to herself. Digg seriously brought back-up? Her smile only slightly wavering, Felicity was able to calculate that she had more than enough time to get out the exit behind her and out to her car before Digg and Roy could make it through a throng of students eager to start their weekend. She knew that she would eventually have to face the music, but today was not the day. She needed to sleep and well, she just wasn't in the mood to deal with all the drama just yet.

Pulling her focus back to the class, Felicity quickly got their attention, "On second thought; It's beautiful outside today. You're all excused on the condition that you use the rest of class time to get started on this assignment. Have a great weekend and I'll see you Monday. "

Snatching up her tablet, Felicity turned on her heel and fled toward the only exit not currently blocked by an undercover superhero. Yanking open the heavy wood door, she risked a quick look over her shoulder to see that Digg and Roy had in fact gotten tangled up in the sea of backpacks and students streaming up the stairs. Congratulating herself for such quick thinking, she turned back just in time to crash straight into the same rock solid chest that she had working very hard to get out of her head for the past eight weeks.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, you guys are too kind! I can't believe how many follows, favorites, and review I've had for the first chapter. I appreciate your support for my writing. This is truly the first thing I've written since graduate school and certainly the first piece with dialogue. I'm just a bit of a picky reader, so I have a decent eye for catching errors. Anyway, I'm not sure how many chapters this will be but I love the various ideas you guys are giving me in your reviews. I'll do my very best to incorporate as many of the ideas as I can. Thank you!**

*****As always none of these characters are mine or we would certainly not be waiting until the fall for a new episode******

_Snatching up her tablet, Felicity turned on her heel and fled toward the only exit not currently blocked by an undercover superhero. Yanking open the heavy wood door, she risked a quick look over her shoulder to see that Digg and Roy had in fact gotten tangled up in the sea of backpacks and students streaming up the stairs. Congratulating herself for such quick thinking, she turned back just in time to crash straight into the very same rock solid chest that she had working very hard to get out of her head for the past eight weeks._

**Chapter 2 **

With a grunt that could rival any NFL linebacker, Felicity felt as if she may have just run into a brick wall. A warm wall that smelled delicious with arms that quickly steadied her before she could fall backwards, but a brick wall all the same.

"Where in the world could you possibly be going in such a hurry Felicity?" Oliver's stare bored through her, "Class doesn't get out for another 40 minutes."

As Oliver's eyes swept over her a world of anxiety lifted from his shoulders. Relief washed over him and Oliver couldn't decide if he wanted to hug or shake the wide eyed girl. It had been an incredibly long eight weeks, and if he was honest with himself, he had started to doubt they were going to be able to find her at all. His usual party trick of calling Amanda Waller at ARGUS had been surprisingly unhelpful. Oliver still wasn't sure why Amanda had chosen this particular situation to follow protocol. Not even Digg's wife Lyla could be talked into helping them find Felicity. Lyla and Amanda were practically governmental robots, but he still had a suspicion that their refusal had more to do with female loyalty than any policy or procedure. Women were _really_ difficult to decipher.

Steadying herself, Felicity let out a frustrated sigh and steeled herself against his ridiculously beautiful gaze. "What are you doing here Oliver? I have a very busy day and I don't really have time to deal with this right now."

"To deal? To…deal…" Oliver stumbled over his words incredulously. "Fe-li-ci-ty" he chanted her name dangerously, "We didn't spend the last eight weeks looking for you and suffer through a six hour flight across the county only to be told to schedule an appointment for your time." Oliver's words were choppy and hinted at barely contained fury, "I believe that you are going to have to _make_ time!" With that Oliver took hold of her wrist and unceremoniously hauled her back into the classroom.

"Diggle" Oliver called as they entered the classroom, "Felicity doesn't think she has time to _deal _with us right now."

Raising both hands in an attempt to communicate his neutrality, Diggle chose to remain silent as he watched the two square off. He had tried to warn Oliver that this wasn't going to be an easy sale, that this was about more than a new employment opportunity. Digg knew _if_ Felicity was going to come home, and it was a HUGE if he could now see, Oliver was going to have to do more than flash his pearly whites. In all reality, he was actually thrilled to have a ringside seat for the action. Digg loved both of them, but Oliver had gone so far over the line with Felicity this time that he was definitely, albeit secretly, rooting for her to bring Oliver to his knees.

Felicity snorted, "I am WORKING. I cannot just drop everything because you three showed up _uninvited _to my classroom in the middle of the day!" Exasperated, she waved her hands as she continued, "Around here the world does not revolve around Oliver Queen's whims!"

Preparing to respond to her heated declaration, his mouth snapped shut, instead trapping his no doubt scalding rebuttal. Choosing another tactic Oliver smiled softly, "You know you could at least _act_ like you were happy to see us. Offer us a bottle of water, or I don't know, a coconut?"

The moment was broken when a smooth voice from the back of the classroom interrupted jovially, "A coconut? Where are these friends of yours from Felicity, a deserted island?"

Felicity beamed at the large man gliding into the room, "Jonathon" she blushed shyly, "I had almost forgotten about lunch! I just need a minute more and we can go."

The newcomer was striking with dark hair and green eyes that he didn't seem to be able to tear away from Felicity long enough for proper introductions. He looked a great deal like a taller, more muscular George Clooney and Oliver was more than a little certain he had seen him on a rerun of Dateline: Most Wanted a few nights ago.

Diggle and Roy exchanged resolute glances as Oliver's already dark expression turned murderous. This situation certainly had the potential to go hell quickly Diggle thought to himself. He really didn't want to get Felicity blackballed from her Alma Mater for having a brawl in her classroom.

The swift change in atmosphere wasn't lost on Jonathon either, "Is everything okay?" he asked carefully.

"Yes!" "No!" Felicity and Oliver's perfectly synchronized responses contradicted each other.

Looking perplexed, he tried again, "Should we take a rain check on lunch?"

"NO!" "YES!" Their responses, even more forceful this time, were again in unison.

"Alright you two" Diggle smiled at them indulgently. "The kid and I" gesturing to a nervous Roy, "are also hungry, so how about the five of us go grab a bite?"

Startled, Felicity quickly shook her head, "Oh no, you three go on without us, Jonathon and I don't have long before our next class and we wouldn't want to rush you." Offer a placating smile to Oliver she added, "This evening we have a mandatory University fundraising event to attend and then I promise we can talk later. Okay?"

Quickly slipping on his playboy smile, Oliver winked at her, "Don't be ridiculous Felicity. You know we can eat on the run." Resting his hand on the small of her back he practically dragged her toward the door, "Let's hit Uburger down the street, I've heard they have amazing food that may even top Big Belly."

Lunch was an awkward affair to say the least. In his favor, Jonathon made valiant efforts to keep the conversation moving, but no one seemed willing to add more than a few words here and there. Finally Oliver decided to ignore Jonathon's presence altogether and continued his earlier conversation.

"Felicity" his voice practically purring her name, "I thought you might like to know that I've been able to regain control of 68% of Queen Consolidated. The board has been restructured and they are expected to vote me back in as CEO on Tuesday. The little wrinkle with my finances has been ironed out as well so you'll be able to start back to work any time."

Jonathon nearly choked on his iced tea, "How stupid of me! You're _the_ Oliver Queen! As in once lost at sea only to be found alive again…You weren't kidding about the coconut." His eyes wide he asked, "How long have you been home now? Three, four years?"

Clearing his throat, Oliver offered a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "It's been a bit over two years now. It's just not something I really like to talk about."

Jonathon nodded his head in agreement, "I imagine it gets old. Please forgive me for bringing it up. You say things are going well for your company however? I'm sure that's a relief."

Directing his attention to Felicity, Oliver smiled thinly, "They are going well, and they will be going that much better once I have Felicity back home where she belongs. I need to have a competent Executive Assistant behind me if I'm going to make this work."

Frowning, Felicity asked in confusion, "What about Michelle? She was more than qualified to work as your EA." Shaking her head she continued, "I interviewed her before I left and human resources was supposed to hire her as soon as they received the results of the UA and background check!"

Looking a bit sheepish Oliver admitted, "She really didn't work out very well. She was always bringing me coffee and answering the phones…she was just in my space!"

Trailing off he glared at Roy who coughed behind his napkin, "Fired."

"Oliver! You didn't? What exactly did she do wrong?" Not waiting for a response she forged ahead, "What about Lucy from Applied Sciences? For obvious reasons she needs a job, at least until the division can be rebuilt..."

This time it was Diggle who suddenly had a frog in his throat, "Quit."

Eyes wide Felicity continued, "Mary from the 6th floor?"

Dropping all pretense of secrecy Roy looked at Diggle, "Is she the one who left crying on her first day or was that the older lady from the 17th floor?"

"Alright fine! Maybe I was a little hard on them." Oliver had the good sense to at least try and look contrite. "It isn't really my fault Felicity. I need _you_ as my Executive Assistant! Not one of them knew what they were doing or how to keep me organized or how my reports need to be summarized…and I'm sure you realize they didn't meet our _security clearance_ for the 24 hour on call duties."

Jaw dropping, Jonathon interrupted, "Wait…no…what? Felicity was your EA?" Looking back and forth between the tow of them he tried to make sense of what he was hearing, "You do know that she has an advanced degree from MIT right? That she graduated at the top of her class? She is over qualified to work as a… someone's…she cannot be _a secretary_!"

Had Felicity not been the tiniest bit scared for Jonathon's life in that moment she would have found his level of incredulity sweet. Instead she found herself saying a silent prayer of thanks that Oliver's bow and quiver were nowhere in sight.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay everyone! Memorial Weekend at the lake isn't exactly laptop friendly. Still being blown away by your positive response! I couldn't possibly thank everyone by name but please know you are appreciated! I have always been an avid FF reader, but was really bad about leaving reviews. I have committed to do better now that I know how fun it is to read reviews of my own! Keep them coming! BTW, Felicity's dress for the University fundraiser is the cover image for this story…**

**I threw in an old school FRIENDS Easter egg…who can find it?**

_Had Felicity not been the tiniest bit scared for his life in that moment she would have found the level of Jonathon's incredulity sweet. Instead she found herself saying a silent prayer of thanks that Oliver's bow and quiver were nowhere in sight. _

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**Chapter 3**

Despite the potential for violence on Oliver's part, lunch concluded rather uneventfully with Felicity and Jonathon returning to teach their afternoon classes. Feeling positive about sticking to her guns thus far, Felicity promised Oliver that they would work out a time to talk _soon_.

What the hell does soon even mean, Oliver thought to himself? He was less than pleased with the way their trip was playing out. He didn't understand what there was to even talk about. He couldn't believe they were getting ready to crash the MIT fitness center to blow off some steam rather than preparing to hop back on the QC jet for the long flight home. He needed Felicity as far away from Mr. Jonathon googily eyes as possible.

Refusing to consider the reasons behind his irritable thoughts, he remembered something he wanted Diggle to handle, "Hey Dig, before you hit the gym can you call and have a full…"

"Done." Diggle cut him off, "I called in a favor and we should have the results within the hour. I'm more than a little doubtful that Jonathon is the psychopath you have him pegged for, but I'm not taking any chances either." With that Diggle hopped on the nearest treadmill and started his 10 mile run.

Oliver looked over the modern equipment with distaste. While the gym was state of the art, it had been a long time since he had worked out on anything considered traditional. There wasn't a tractor tire, sledge-hammer, or a salmon ladder in sight. There was a large open area covered by thick mats, but he was fairly certain one of the college students would call the police if he and Diggle or Roy entered into one of their intense sparring matches. Your average training didn't usually include trying to take your partner's head off, and today Oliver was fairly certain his level of frustration would have allowed him to easily best Diggle and Roy at the same time. Sighing he opted for free weights and attempted to lose himself in the workout.

90 minutes later, Oliver was growing more bored than worn out as his mind began to wander. He had zero idea how they were going to fill the rest of their day while they _waited _on Felicity to make time for them after her fundraiser. He had never been one to sit around waiting on other people, and he wasn't excited at the prospect of starting tonight. Pausing briefly, he quirked his lips as an idea flitted through his mind, quickly solidifying. "Roy, Diggle!" a wildly arrogant smile appeared on his face as he bellowed, "Wrap it up! WE have some business to attend to."

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Felicity was more than a little nervous as she smoothed the front of her red dress for the millionth time. It was just a bit more risqué than her usual choices and while the front of the beaded floor length gown was almost matronly, the back made up for the modesty in spades. It was the boldest dress she had ever owned and no sooner had she swiped her AM EX that she admitted to herself that it would probably never actually make it out of her closet. Truth be told, it was a last-minute substitution because her original choice had been a deep forest green and she had no intention of allowing Oliver the satisfaction of believing that she had chosen the dress for him. Chiding herself she grudging admitted, it may have been _because_ of him, but there was no chance in hell she would risk him actually seeing her in it and she wasn't naïve enough to believe anything short of another Undertaking would keep Oliver from staking out her apartment tonight after the event. She was done wearing her heart on her sleeve when it came to Oliver Queen.

Looking over to the bar, she smiled as Jonathon headed her direction with two glasses of red wine. It wasn't the top shelf variety Oliver frequently bribed her with, but it still had a nice enough flavor that she enjoyed a couple of glasses at each of their fundraising events. This would be her second glass of the night and she was having so much fun that she had already decided to throw caution into the wind and raise her drink maximum to three for the evening. Jonathon was a _really _nice guy.

Eyes looking over her appreciatively Jonathon smiled, "Have I told you how stunning you are?" shaking his head he continued, "And that dress is…nothing short of phenomenal."

Blushing she dipped her head shyly, "Stop it. You're making me blush and I'm going to clash with my gown."

Enjoying her genuine response to his attention Jonathon softly rubbed her arm, "We need to find Dr. Jenson. He told me he wanted to introduce us to a new donor." Eyes wide with anticipation he continued, "It seems the program additions we've dreamed of are in the bag. Our school will apparently have a new name, but otherwise the generous donation has literally tripled our operating budget for the next five years!"

Lighting up, Felicity's mind immediately began to race with excitement. They could fund the program for additional students, update the technology, and increase the number of visiting professors each semester, the possibilities were endless!

Sliding his hand along her bare back, Jonathon guided Felicity across the room to find the head of their program. As they grew closer, Felicity's excitement began to transform into a sense of foreboding. She wasn't sure why, but when her gut told her to be wary, it was rarely wrong. If she had learned nothing spending her nights with Oliver it was when things seemed too good to be true they usually were.

Each step closer to their destination increased her anxiety until they made it through the crowd and her suspicions were confirmed.

Dr. Jenson stood surrounded by her three "team" members laughing jovially at something Diggle had said. Oliver was a bit more reserved however, eyes targeting in on Jonathon's hand around Felicity's waist.

"Oliver. Jonas. Queen." Blue eyes full of fire, Felicity's tone could have easily frozen the Caspian Sea. "Please tell me I don't once again work in a building that has _your name_ on the side of it."

Eyes wide, Dr. Jenson appeared to suffer a mild embolism at her attack on his latest university benefactor, "I'm not sure how they do things in Starling City Ms. Smoak, but around here we try to be a great deal more respectful when an individual is willing to help support our school in such a GENEROUS MANNER!" His voice rising an octave as he attempted to convey his intense displeasure.

Smiling, Oliver shook his head, "Please, Dr. Jenson. Ms. Smoak and I are _very _good friends. She likes to keep me on my toes." Winking at her he continued, "Besides, my name isn't on the building _yet, _and we still need to work out the details of where you work these days, right Felicity?_" _While his triumphant grin seemed to calm the department head immensely, it had the opposite effect on Jonathon. Felicity's face flushed in discomfort as she felt his eyes shifting between them attempting to read what was actually behind the intense emotions.

Doing his best to hold back a smile, Diggle was fairly confident that concern for her job was the _only_ thing keeping Felicity from punching Oliver in the face. Roy however found no shame in expressing his glee in the turn of events, "Felicity" he grinned, "you sure know how to improve a stuffy party!"

Unable to speak, Felicity practically drug Jonathon away from the group to the dance floor. Since she was going to _kill _Oliver Queen before the end of the evening, she really needed to make sure she didn't get herself fired in a fit of rage. How dare he try to finagle his way into HER new start! It was his fault she even needed to create one. His stupid, '_The wrong women, I love YOU charade' _had about ended her. Chest heaving, she refused to allow the dam around her emotion to suffer even a crack.

Please with himself, his shit eating grin promptly fell as Felicity stalked away from the group. What in God's name was she wearing? Where in the hell was the rest of her dress? Can she not feel that half of it was gone? Mind reeling, he watched her lay her head on Jonathon's shoulder. Fairly certain the dress would surrender to gravity at any moment, he found himself looking to identify any possible way he could just throw her over his shoulder and get them both out of there before he started putting arrows in the next man to look at her inappropriately. Not sure what deep dark part of his psyche the predatory instinct was coming from, he refused to acknowledge his lack of right to any such thoughts.

Wrapping his arms around Felicity, Jonathon led her around the dance floor in a soft waltz. Sensing her need to steam privately, he communicated his support by gently rubbing his hand up and down her back in a soothing gesture. While he had grown to care a great deal for the beautiful women in his arms, it was beyond apparent that there was more going on between Felicity and her former employer than she was willing to discuss.

"Man", Diggle chastised Oliver with a shake of his head "You have it bad. Why stop now? You might as well pull her pony tail while you're at it…" Glancing over when he got no response, he realized his friend was zoned in on the pair dancing. "Oliver! You need to stop playing around with that girl, do you _even_ know what your end game is here?"

As if he hadn't heard a word he said Oliver glared across the dance floor, "This guy has to go. I don't trust him…have you noticed how handsie he is?" Disgusted he muttered, "Her hip, her back, her shoulder, her face…all this gratuitous touching is ridiculous."

Brows furrowed, Roy looked at Oliver in astonishment, "Hello kettle? This is Oliver. You're black."

Refusing to back down as Oliver's furious gaze landed on him, he taunted, "What? Seriously Oliver, if I treated your sister with as little regard as you handle her…" his eyes regarded Felicity with contemplation, "You would have killed me a long time ago."

Beleaguered by his team's collective reprimand and his own confused emotions, Oliver excused himself, "I am going to get some air." Eyes dark he commanded, "I expect you two to stick close to Felicity and make sure she gets back to her apartment safely."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Felicity was still steaming when she let herself into her apartment several hours later. The evening was officially a major bust. She had seriously managed to get dumped, albeit gently, before she was actually in a relationship. That had to be a first. How do you even break up if you're not a couple? Not sure why the surprised, she thought, it wasn't as if the last person she'd been interested in _who might have reciprocated her feelings _she corrected herself, hadn't gotten struck by lighting and been in a coma for five months. Talk about once in a lifetime…a mixture of a sob and a laugh escaped her lips as she headed to the kitchen to end her night with an additional glass of wine…glass, bottle, who's counting?

Pulling the pins out of hair as she walked, Felicity came to an abrupt halt trying to make sense of the scene before her. Soft music greeted her as she took in a bottle of 1982 Lafite Rothschild open on the bar next to a plate of cheese and crackers. The distinct smell of grilling steaks wafted in from the small balcony off the living room. There was only one person in the universe with this kind of audacity. Eyes narrowing, she took the last steps into the kitchen to see her suspicions confirmed for the second time that night.

Looking completely unapologetic for breaking into her apartment, Oliver held a glass out to her with a grin, "You know, that dress isn't so bad when there aren't a couple dozen sickos drooling all over you."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

_**So many awesome reviews! Love them! They make me want to immediately work on the next chapter! I received a couple of guest reviews I wished I could have responded to so I'll do so here…First, remember above all this IS an Olicity fic, Jonathon was great and all but for the most part he had outlived his purpose in this story. Truth be told, the outline I have for this story consists only of all the humorous and jealousy laced situations that pop into my head and then I have to figure out how to tie them together. Not easy for this first time writer. I didn't have the energy to build in a lot of fluff for the boyfriend who was getting the ax anyway. Next, try to give Felicity a break! Yes, she needs to set some limits with Oliver, and yes, she needs to call him on his BS, but I don't think we're dealing with some hard-core domestic violence 'weak chick falls for control freak' situation here. If nothing else, I find Felicity's ability to keep her head up after getting completely blindsided by Oliver pretty amazing. Can I just tell you how I would have died before I would have admitted to ANYONE the crap Felicity said on the beach to Oliver? In my opinion, that alone took some flipping cojones! Most of us would have lied our asses off, saying we weren't fooled for a second. Finally, I try really hard to stick to character, but unfortunately I have to put my own creative spin on Oliver at some point or we will forever be stuck in the same kind of sort of flirting around with nothing more than the friends forever crap that we've been…I think we can all agree that S2 Oliver isn't who we hope we see next fall! **_

_*****I'm so sad that no one picked up on my FRIENDS quote in Chapter 3. I'm still holding out for someone to find it!*****_

_**Anyway, sorry for the ramble! Happy reading and please, please keep up the reviews!**_

_Looking completely unapologetic for breaking into her apartment, Oliver held a glass of wine out to her with a grin, "You know, that dress isn't so bad when there aren't a couple dozen sickos drooling all over you."_

It only took Felicity 45 seconds to kick his arrogant ass out of her apartment.

Not exactly prepared for battle, Oliver couldn't have offered a full account of Felicity's onslaught if there was a gun to his head. There was yelling in various octaves ranging from hurt to off the charts anger, there were tears, a bit of glaring, his middle name thrown out at least twice, and a great deal of stabbing her index finger into his chest as she marched him backwards toward the door_. _Absently rubbing his chest as he attempted to figure out what had happened, Oliver decided they may need to reconsider allowing Felicity in the field more often. Because o_uch_, who knew such a simple act could hurt that bad? He might consider using it to put the fear of God into the next bad guy he needed to interrogate.

"Felicity?" The slamming of the door was still ringing in his ears as Oliver tried to charm his way back inside. "The steaks are going to burn…you should probably let me in to flip them soon or…"

Looking hopeful as the door wrenched open his smile faltered when Felicity shoved a platter of half-cooked steaks into his hand. "Enjoy your dinner!" She snarled slamming the door closed before he could respond.

Okay, he thought that was fairly lacking in the charm department. Oliver had experiences his share of failed business ventures, but this was the first time anyone had sent him packing before the meat was even off the grill. Sitting in the hall with his back to the door he tried to figure out just where in the hell all of this had gone so incredibly wrong.

It wasn't exactly rocket science he thought grimly. He wasn't blind, and Oliver had been aware of Felicity's feelings toward him almost since the beginning. _Feelings _seemed too understated really, Felicity had unselfishly followed and supported him during every up and down he had been through the past two years. Even Diggle had briefly kicked him to the curb, but not her. Even though his friend was more than justified at walking away from the team, Felicity had gone to bat for him with Diggle and tried desperately to bring the team back together.

Not to mention that Felicity wasn't one to play games. Smiling, he shook his head, he was fairly certain she couldn't be coy if she tried. Her tendency to babble when she was nervous allowed him endless access to her thoughts and feelings. Something that wasn't reciprocated in the least he realized. She only had access to the snippets of him that he allowed her to have, and more often than not they left her more confused than before. NOT that he even had a clue what direction his life needed to take. He knew what he wanted, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he absolutely didn't deserve her…it…Felicity…damn it! Even his subconscious was turning against him. Regardless of how badly this was playing out, he knew he couldn't stand not having her as a major part of his life. Closing his eyes, he threw his head back against the door a little harder than necessary as he contemplated his next move.

On the other side of the door Felicity sat holding not only both now empty glasses of wine, but the bottle in her lap. She was still half blinded by rage (read _hurt_) and if she was honest with herself she wasn't sure if she even understood what had made her react so violently. One second he had been standing in her kitchen holding out a glass of wine, _looking as if he were welcoming her home from a long day at work_…he had the nerve to stand there and once again play out a scene that regardless of how many times she pictured it in her mind, would NEVER happen. Never. Because Oliver had made it clear that while he could apparently _be _with the majority of the single population of the free world, he would not be with her. He didn't love her and she was fairly certain now that she had broken some sacred "man rule" by wasting such beautiful sirloins… thoughts jumping again she shook her head. What person in their right mind would stop to worry about meat on a grill in the middle of a life changing fight? Didn't he understand how hurt she was? How angry? Sadly, the answer broke Felicity's heart just a little more. He was focused on dinner because he didn't care, not in the way that she did. Oliver had nothing to lose other than the eyes and ears of Team Arrow, his IT support, and a good dinner. It wasn't life changing to _him_.

It took Oliver 45 minutes to re-enter the apartment through Felicity's bedroom window.

To be fair it only took that long because he had to run back to the car for a second bottle of Rothschild. Something told him they had a two bottle night ahead of them. Then Oliver had to wait for the street to clear of cars so MIT's finest didn't show up to investigate someone climbing up and into Felicity's apartment building.

He had been going mad out there listening to her muffled babbling switch between anger and tears. Had he not been fairly certain she was actually leaning against the door he would have only made it a few minutes before he kicked it open. Thankfully Dig hadn't decided to check up on Felicity while he was stuck in the hallway. While he could best his friend in a daily sparring match, he didn't think he had the stomach to defend himself when he knew deep down that he more than deserved to get his clock cleaned.

Closing her bedroom window behind him, he silently walked back into her living room. Half expecting her to be waiting on him with a frying pan, he moved carefully, listening for movement. As he anticipated, he found her propped up against the front door, but her red rimmed eyes made his stomach drop and he came close to running out the way he came in. Coward! The knowledge that HE was the cause of her tears was almost his undoing. She was so strong and kind. She was so smart and beautiful. She was the only GOOD thing he had and he had a sick feeling that she was slipping away from him.

"Felicity?" He whispered partially afraid she would come after him with that index finger again.

"Yep," she popped, her words holding a hint of a slur, "What can I do for you… friend?"

Not sure he was very excited about the way she decimated the word _friend_ with her tone he tried again, "I brought you another bottle of wine…" He faltered as she continued to look at him but not speak, "as an apology…"

Her blues eyes perking slightly, she motioned towards the kitchen, "Feel free to put it on the counter on your way out."

"Felicity!" Oliver temporarily forgot his goal of remaining IN the apartment as his voice rose. "Would you please give me a chance to talk?"

"Give YOU a chance to talk. Isn't that typical?" Accusing eyes bore into him, "Pray tell Oliver, what do YOU want to talk about?" Felicity began to try to stand without spilling any of the wine or tearing her dress.

Watching with interest until he was fairly sure that damn dress would fall off of one of her shoulders, Oliver stalked over to where she struggled, effortlessly pulling her to her feet.

"What do I want to talk about? Are you serious right now?" Oliver was fuming once again, "Where should I start? The fact that you disappeared without a trace two months ago? Or that you didn't trust me enough to get QC back that you ran off to get some teaching job? How about the fact that you're so busy gallivanting around with Mr. Jonathon '_can't keep his hands to himself' _that you don't have time to appreciate the fact that we traveled across the CONTINENTAL UNITES STATES to take you home!"

By the time Oliver finished his rant he was towering over her while she stared angrily up at him trying to find the words to respond.

As the deafening silence stretched on endlessly Felicity's land line began to ring and her answering machine picked up. Jonathon's deep voice floated across the room, "Felicity? Are you awake? Look, I'm sorry if I was too hard on you tonight. I just…I really like you Licity. I like you a lot and if you are able to get whatever is going on between you and your boss tied up, I want us to try again. Either way I'm here for you. We're friends first and I will be there for you regardl…" The machine cut him off resounding beep.

"Licity? What's that about? How ridiculous…" Oliver trailed off as he continued to glare toward the direction of the phone. "It's an inanimate object Oliver" Felicity scoffed. "What are you going to do, put an arrow through it? "

"I AM considering it" Oliver shot back at her with all seriousness, "Why is he calling back after you cut him loose? And what did he mean by _too hard on you?_" His eyes blazed with the emotion he only seemed to feel when her safety was in question, "If he hurt you in any way, I WILL kill him."

Cupping his hands on her face he quickly turned her from side to side looking for any signs of injury.

"Oh for heaven's sake Oliver, settle down." Felicity rolled her eyes pulling away from him, "The only person who has hurt me lately is YOU!" Turning away she walked over to look out her window. Looking out over the beautiful MIT campus her head spun as she thought about how different things were only 24 hours ago. How uncomplicated it had been to only _miss_ Oliver and not have him here running around like a cave man who never stopped to consider there were two of them navigating this emotional train wreck.

Realizing he only had a few seconds before she once again kicked him out of her apartment, Oliver tried to start again. "Felicity" His voice shook, "I'm sorry, I'm not doing this very well. I just don't like it when you're not with us…I need you to be safe." What was _wrong_ with his voice? And how in the hell can one small women have him in knots?

Walking closer to her, the sight of Felicity's bare back made Oliver's mouth go dry. The curve of her neck and shoulders were calling out to him. He itched to touch her and erase any memory she may have of Jonathon's hands on her earlier. Just the thought made violence course through him. Even as Oliver tucked his hands in his back pockets to restrain himself, he was walking forward until his front pressed up against her back and he could lay his cheek on the top of her head. Closing his eyes he tried to convey all the confusing thoughts and feelings currently warring in his brain.

**Damn it all to hell. **

He was in love with Felicity.


End file.
